ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

Reclusive guitarist and composer Richard Franklin is one of the best-kept secrets of the smooth jazz world. His early musical background was in classic guitar - as a student of Carlos Barbosa-Lima and Sophocles Papas, his lineage goes directly back to the great Andres Segovia. A very successful classic guitarist, he performed extensively in recital and with orchestras; he also won a number of performance competitions. The influence of the classic style is evident in his jazz work, particularly the emphasis on tonal warmth and expressivity.

Through the mid-1980's, Richard worked as a performing and studio guitarist (as well as an acclaimed teacher), until he withdrew from the public music scene for personal reasons. Since then, his musical activity has focused on composition and studio production. He is now introducing the fruits of that work.

Fans of smooth jazz will find the music of Richard Franklin to be readily accessible, even on the first hearing, as it features lush harmonies, attractive melodies, and subtle grooves. While firmly rooted in jazz and pop traditions, Richard Franklin does not sound like anyone else. Repeated listening will be rewarded with an appreciation of the care, skill and subtlety with which this material is crafted and performed. The music is positive, up-beat, and always very satisfying.

"Notarius" will also give you more than your money's worth -- 60 minutes of music with no "filler" -- great tunes, tight arrangements, and first rate playing. Check it out for yourself -- every tune is available for your preview.

Some parts of the album are great as pleasant background music while others seduce to listen closer to - that's a really nice mix. Just try the samples. The reason to give 4 stars is the bad shell wrapping the music: The front cover is home printed with a bad ink printer and the CD lable as well, so *never* let it get wet!! BTW: No back cover at all, so you won't see any title when placing the CD in your CD tower unless you create a backcover yourself.